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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972470">The One Where Maggie Intervened</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mamacita5012/pseuds/Mamacita5012'>Mamacita5012</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Homeland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:48:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,984</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mamacita5012/pseuds/Mamacita5012</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What might have happened if Carrie had a sisterly chat with Maggie after her kiss with Quinn during Season 4 finale.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carrie Mathison &amp; Maggie Mathison, Carrie Mathison/Peter Quinn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Girl Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div>
  <p>Carrie stood in the dark, under the street lamps, watching his truck drive away.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>Did that really just happen?</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She brought her hand to her face, exhaling the breath she'd been holding, and slowly traced a finger over her bottom lip, waiting for her heart rate to slow down.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Her thoughts were racing with a million questions, but all she could focus on as she walked back to her sister's house was the taste of Quinn on her lips. </p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>Quinn</em>. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Kissed <em>her</em>. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't been there to feel it.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Once inside, she leaned against the front door with her head toward the ceiling, and closed her eyes. She wanted to etch the last 10 minutes into her brain so she could remember them forever. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Quinn's bright smile that she so rarely sees, just before he kissed her. His smooth thin lips against hers, his slick tongue chasing into her mouth, the stubble on his face tickling her fingers, his calloused hands sending goosebumps from her cheeks and her neck all the way down her spine. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>But he had also asked her to leave the agency together. What was that all about? Did he mean "together," like they would be romantically involved? He'd never even remotely shown her any signs that he was interested in her. Maybe he just meant as friends? Like they could just provide moral support to each other while trying to ignore everyone's pleas for them to come back. But then why the kiss? </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Everything OK?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie's eyes shot open to see Maggie coming down the stairs, interrupting her racing inner thoughts. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I thought you'd be in bed by now," Carrie replied, feeling like Maggie had caught her doing something she shouldn't be. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I was, but I came back down for a glass of ice water. You alright? You seem...antsy." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She tried to think of some excuse, but her brain was all fuzzy. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Carrie?" Maggie moved closer cautiously when she didn't answer.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She wasn't really interested in talking to her older sister about her love life, if you could even call it that. But it was no use--she could always tell when Carrie was keeping something from her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah, it's just...Quinn, he <em>kissed me</em>." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Okay...and?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What do you mean okay, and? He just...kissed me! Out of nowhere Maggie!"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You mean like just now? Like, for the first time?" Maggie asked incredulously. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yes Maggie! Of course for the first time! What are you talking about?" Carrie nearly shouted, confused. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well, I thought you two were seeing each other...Wait, are you and Quinn not dating?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No Maggie! We just work together. Why would you think we're dating?!" Carrie could not believe how this conversation was going. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well, just the vibe you both gave off. Plus, I assumed you left with him so the two of you could be alone to say goodnight. Why else would you walk him to his car if not for a goodnight kiss?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie's brow furrowed and her eyes shot back and forth. Her mind raced back through the events of the evening, trying to decide if there was some truth to her sister's assumption. Did they really give off a "vibe?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>After a long silence, Maggie asked, "So he kissed you? For the first time...just like that?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie lifted her eyebrows, nodding as she glanced back toward her sister. She tried to hold it back, but a slight smile crept onto her face, and she felt like a blushing schoolgirl. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Maggie smiled too, reaching for Carrie's hand and dragging her to the couch. They sat facing each other cross-legged, just like they did as little girls, talking about which boys they wanted to play with at recess. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"So how was it?" Maggie asked, almost giddy. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie laughed. "It was...nice," Carrie smiled shyly. "Unexpected. But..." she touched a finger to her lip again, as if trying to make sure her bottom lip was still attached. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It felt...nice. It felt...exciting and passionate, but comfortable all at once. As if we'd kissed a hundred times before and I'd just forgotten."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Maggie lifted up her shoulders in glee. "So, what happened, after he kissed you?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I told him I'd just fuck it up, that I always do and it always ends badly."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What? Why Carrie? Do you not like him? He seems perfect."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I don't know, I think I do. He is. I've been having...thoughts about him, lately. But I haven't had much down time to dwell on them. Our friendship has been...complicated, to say the least."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well what did he say? When you said you'd fuck it up?" Maggie asked, on the edge of her seat. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"He said I wouldn't fuck it up, and it only ends badly until it doesn't, and he's seen me at my worst." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Aww, Carrie. That's so sweet." Maggie had her hands on her heart and smiled up at Carrie like a teenager in love. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah...but then. I'm not really sure...then he told me he wanted to leave the agency--quit. But he knew he couldn't do it alone; he's tried before and he just keeps getting sucked back in. So he asked me to leave with him. He said we can get out together and stay out."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Wow, that's quite a declaration, " Maggie said, surprised.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah, that's the thing. I couldn't tell if he meant it like, romantically, or just to get out together in a sort of platonic, supportive way."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Maggie shook her head and laughed. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What?" Carrie asked, genuinely confused. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Carrie, for someone who tries to decipher people's hidden agendas for a living, you are totally blind." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What's that supposed to mean?" Carrie asked, offended. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"He's in love with you Carrie."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie shook her head. "You don't know that Maggie. How would you even begin to know that?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Carrie, as soon as I saw you running toward him at the church, I could tell you had feelings for each other. The way you hugged, as if you hadn't seen each other in a long time. But he told me he was in Pakistan with you, so it couldn't have been that long since you saw him last. Plus, the way he was so interested in Franny and played with her all afternoon, like he wanted to get to know her and wanted her to like him. And the way he stayed after everyone else left, to help us clean up. Those are not things male colleagues usually do, Carrie."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Maybe," Carrie said doubtfully, "but that's just Quinn. He's...reliable." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie thought back to one of their earliest conversations when Quinn had said just that about himself, and smiled sweetly at the memory. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She shook her head. "Even if you're right--why wouldn't he just flat out tell me? Why would he beat around the bush like that?" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Now that, I don't know. Though I <em>could</em> take some guesses. You said your relationship has been complicated--maybe he's not sure if you feel the same way. Plus, I assume he knows at least a little bit about your relationship with Frannie's father, and how it ended?" Maggie asked. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie looked down, nodding. "More than a little. He knows practically everything," she said gloomily. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well maybe he thinks you haven't gotten over that yet, or you still have feelings for him. Or maybe he just wants to make sure you've taken enough time to heal, before rushing into something you're not ready for." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Plus if you've never even kissed before, most people want to try dating for at least a little while before declaring their love." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie laughed. "Ok, I see your point." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well how do you feel? Do you have feelings for him? Is he a good guy? Could you see yourself dating him?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I don't know Maggie. I mean, yeah, of course, he's a great guy. I don't really know that much about him--he's not really much of a sharer. But he's kind, and thoughtful, loyal and reliable, and a hard worker, and really great at his job. He's the only person I trust with everything, besides Saul. And he's funny, when we're not arguing." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You're forgetting handsome. He's incredibly handsome." Maggie giggled, making Carrie laugh too, swatting her sister's arm playfully.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yes Maggie, he's obviously handsome too," Carrie smiled. "But could I date him? I don't know. We argue a lot--about nearly everything. And he seems secretive; I don't know if he'd ever really be able to open up for a relationship."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well it sounds like he was trying to get off to a pretty good start tonight," Maggie suggested. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Then after a pause, "Would you really want to leave? Is that something you want?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie could hear the hope in her sister's question. She knew her family hated her job, especially since Franny came along. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie sighed. "Yes. I've been wanting to for awhile now. It's just a scary thought, and I don't know if I'll be able to do it. I don't know what I would do instead. But after what happened on these past few missions, and everything with Brody, I have to get out. I'm just done." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Maggie smiled. "Well that's good, it sounds like you two could be helpful to one another. I think you better talk to him Carrie." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I know. I will. I'll see him tomorrow at the office--our independent briefings are scheduled back to back." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What? No, Carrie, you need to talk to him tonight." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Really? I think it can wait one more day Maggie." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Carrie, if he is as bad at sharing and opening up as you suggest, it was probably really hard for him to put it all out there like he did tonight. I think he'd appreciate you telling him how you feel sooner rather than later." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well I don't really know how I feel, is the thing," Carrie whined. "Plus, what if I do fuck it up? I mean, dad fucked it up so bad with mom that she left and never came back. My brain is pretty fucked up Maggie." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Well, like he said, he's seen you at your worst and still seems interested. And you manage your illness better than dad ever did. And you have me to help you manage it--Dad never had anyone except Mom. " </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Maggie put her arm on Carrie's shoulder lovingly. "It's ok to be unsure, and scared. That's normal. But he deserves to know everything you just told me. It might give him some peace of mind while he waits for your answer." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ugh, why do you always have to be right?" Carrie groaned.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Because I'm your older sister," Maggie smiled, hugging her playfully. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Fine, I'll call him once I get to bed." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Carrie, are you kidding? This is potentially a life-changing conversation. It's not something you can do over the phone."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ugh, Maggie! It's late." Carrie knew she was acting childish, but she was starting to get really fucking nervous about how this conversation was going to play out. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I know, all the more reason to go to his house. You'll surprise him...in a good way."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't even know where he lives." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You're a CIA agent for crying out loud. I think you can find a colleague's address easily enough." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie laughed nervously. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Maggie placed her hands on Carrie's shoulders. "I know you're nervous, that's normal. Just tell him what you told me and you'll be fine. I've got Franny--stay as long as you need." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>They smiled at each other. "Thanks Maggie." </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Carrie stood up and walked toward the door, grabbing her purse and keys from the entryway table. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Wish me luck," she said, as she walked out the door to find Quinn.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Whole Fucking World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Quinn reflects on the evening.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div>
  <p>
    <em>What was I thinking?</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Quinn poured himself a shot of whiskey as soon as he walked in the door. If the anxiety-filled truck ride home was any indication of how his evening was going to pan out, he would definitely need some help shutting his brain off long enough to fall asleep. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>And sleep is what he needed most. His plane had landed with barely enough time to shower the dust of Islamabad off his skin before heading to the church. He hadn't slept well in weeks, and sleep is what he needed  to get his thoughts in order. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Maybe that's why he said what he did--lack of sleep. He certainly hadn't planned that conversation out ahead of time. Asking Carrie to quit her job and run away with him into the sunset or some bullshit...<em>What the actual fuck?</em></p>
</div><div>
  <p>He poured himself another drink, this time sipping it slowly on the rocks, and headed down the hall to his bedroom. He needed to get out of this suit and into a bed--fast. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He's certainly no relationship expert, having never been in one himself. Not really, not seriously. There was Julia, John Jr.'s mom, but that wasn't real. That was him being young and naive, and trying to settle out of a sense of obligation and guilt. All of his other relationships had been short-lived and born of convenience and desire. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>This--with Carrie--he'd never felt this way before. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>At first he thought it was lust--a blind attraction to a powerful woman who was off-limits to him, in more ways than one. He was her boss, then she was his, and then there was Brody. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>God, she went through so much shit because of that motherfucker.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Plus he shot her, and then he stole her medical files, and she was pregnant with a dead terrorist's baby, and Quinn was pretty sure she hated him after that even more than when they first met. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>And yet, there they were. Still working together--albeit arguing at every other turn--but they always made a good team. Quinn thought that would be enough, but of course it wasn't. He couldn't stop watching her at work, couldn't act objectively when they were in the field together, couldn't stop thinking about her outside of the office. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>That's why he didn't go with her when she requested him in Kabul. He had thought the only reason he couldn't take his mind off her was because he saw her at work every day--that it would be easy to forget her once she was out of his life. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>How naive he had been. The thought makes him laugh out loud at his own reflection in the mirror as he takes the last sip of his drink before brushing his teeth. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The months he spent in Islamabad before her arrival were miserable. He expected to be pining over her at first, but that he would slowly forget his dumb feelings for the elusive Carrie Mathison and be able to focus on his work again. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Instead, his attraction toward Carrie only grew in her absence. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't focus. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He was just starting to admit to himself that maybe these feelings were deeper than he'd thought, than he'd hoped, when she dropped a literal fucking bomb on that poor family's wedding celebration and had to come to Pakistan and clean up her mess. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Then Sandy died, he had a mental breakdown, and he still let her convince him to come back and help her. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>After everything went to shit in Islamabad, he thought he'd never come back to the States. He didn't think he'd be able to face her, after everything that had happened. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>But then Max called to tell him her dad died. And that's all it took for him to drop everything and go running back to her. He realized he had to see her again, to be there for her in case she needed him, even though he knew his presence would barely register to her. She was his whole fucking world, yet she probably wouldn't even notice whether he was in the room. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>But then...she seemed so happy to see him. Maybe it was just the setting, maybe she was just sad about her dad, or surprised to see him, or relieved that he wasn't dead. But still, something about the way she hugged him at her dad's funeral service gave him pause. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He had convinced himself these feelings were one-sided and always would be. Was it possible that Carrie had feelings for him in return? </p>
</div><div>
  <p>And then he kissed her. Which was wonderful, by the way. He stopped halfway through unbuttoning his shirt and closed his eyes to fully remember it--her soft, plush lips on his, her velvety hair, sliding through his calloused fingers, the smell of her perfume as her tongue chased into his mouth. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>But then she'd pulled away--already scared off--trying to run before anything even got started. And instead of taking the hint and apologizing like a normal person, he fucking dug in, hard--asked her to quit her job so they could help each other stay away from the agency. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>If the kiss didn't scare her away, that sure as fuck did. <em>Why couldn't he just keep his fucking mouth shut? </em></p>
</div><div>
  <p>This, he assumes, is why people start with dating, and then work their way up to life-changing ultimatums. It would be helpful to know if she had feelings for him, or was even slightly attracted to him, before he laid all his cards on the table. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Ugh, he can't think about this anymore--the embarrassment is too brutal. He threw the rest of his clothes onto the lone chair sitting in the corner, and pulled back the comforter to climb inside. He turned out the light, and was just about to drift off to sleep when he heard a knock at the door...</p>
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